Middle school students are blind. Here they have a 5-months-pregnant teacher in their midst, wearing maternity clothes since month 3 seemingly, and they just don't see it. My belly "popped" this past weekend - I am really, really showing now. Even when I wear black, or something very baggy, you can still tell - this is more than gaining weight. It's a pregnant belly. The big celebration this week is Doug's announcement of, "honey, your belly has grown past your boobs!"
I have mixed feelings about the kids knowing. In formal school rules, you send a letter home notifying the parents of an impending leave, who is going to fill the absence, etc. You do this between 60 & 90 days before maternity leave is expected to start. Speaking of which, I should write that letter to HR pretty soon.
Anyway... so my principal said he'd like to send a letter home at Christmas. This is fine with me; send it over a break, so I don't get questioned and all in class. However... the way I'm looking at week 20, they have GOT to have figured it out by December 22, for crying out loud. Other teachers tell me no - a few will, but they won't say anything -one of the only things I think a kid doesn't say to a teacher in class. I want the kids to know, I think, just to get it out in the open and be done with it. I feel like I'm "sneaking around" and that wearing maternity clothes is daring. Like there's a part of school culture that says "you can't talk about the fact you're pregnant." And therefore I'm trying to fool the kids.
On the other hand, if the kids figure it out and I confirm it, the amount of questions that will come flying at me will be neverending. I had a very respectful group the year I adopted Roman, but even then I allotted 30 minutes to questions and answers. Well, that was a special circumstance, too.
So I guess what I'm saying is, I don't want to make the announcement, but I want a kid to figure it out quick so I don't feel like I'm supposed to be trying to hide my VERY pregnant belly. Of course, if I leave it to my coworker Angela, they'll know within a week - she blurted it out in the lunch line a few days ago when she was nicely buying me a chocolate ice cream. No kids heard her, though - like I said, clueless.
Craving of the week: feta cheese. And don't worry, the big bag that Doug bought me from GFS says it's pasteurized, so I'm safe.
I have mixed feelings about the kids knowing. In formal school rules, you send a letter home notifying the parents of an impending leave, who is going to fill the absence, etc. You do this between 60 & 90 days before maternity leave is expected to start. Speaking of which, I should write that letter to HR pretty soon.
Anyway... so my principal said he'd like to send a letter home at Christmas. This is fine with me; send it over a break, so I don't get questioned and all in class. However... the way I'm looking at week 20, they have GOT to have figured it out by December 22, for crying out loud. Other teachers tell me no - a few will, but they won't say anything -one of the only things I think a kid doesn't say to a teacher in class. I want the kids to know, I think, just to get it out in the open and be done with it. I feel like I'm "sneaking around" and that wearing maternity clothes is daring. Like there's a part of school culture that says "you can't talk about the fact you're pregnant." And therefore I'm trying to fool the kids.
On the other hand, if the kids figure it out and I confirm it, the amount of questions that will come flying at me will be neverending. I had a very respectful group the year I adopted Roman, but even then I allotted 30 minutes to questions and answers. Well, that was a special circumstance, too.
So I guess what I'm saying is, I don't want to make the announcement, but I want a kid to figure it out quick so I don't feel like I'm supposed to be trying to hide my VERY pregnant belly. Of course, if I leave it to my coworker Angela, they'll know within a week - she blurted it out in the lunch line a few days ago when she was nicely buying me a chocolate ice cream. No kids heard her, though - like I said, clueless.
Craving of the week: feta cheese. And don't worry, the big bag that Doug bought me from GFS says it's pasteurized, so I'm safe.
Comments